Tough Love (28 page)

Leanne's eyes narrowed. ‘After all these years the only reason you come round is to ask me to cover for you because you're gay?'

‘Don't get me wrong, I'm not gay. It's just been a phase, something I thought I'd try. I'm definitely straight.'

‘I don't care if you're into shagging horses. That's not the point. You only ever do anything that benefits you. You don't care about Kia, you just want to save your arse. Although, by the sound of it, you haven't been saving it, have you? You've been handing it round.'

‘No! It's not like that! I'll give you money for the kid!' Jay scrabbled for the right words.

‘Get out,' Leanne said, boiling with rage.

‘No, Leanne, listen – this can work for both of us –'

‘I said get out!'

‘You heard the lady,' said a voice from behind Jay.

Leanne hadn't heard Tony come in but now he was blocking the doorway, looking as if he'd like to snap Jay in two.

‘Please, Leanne,' Jay begged.

Tony grabbed him by his hoodie and dragged him into the hall. Leanne burst into tears.

Kia came out of the bedroom. ‘Why's that man made you cry, Mummy?'

Leanne held out her arms and her little girl ran into them. She waited until Tony came back before she spoke. She could see that he was furious.

‘That's the man I told you about, darling, who I was friends with before you were born.'

‘What did he want?'

Whatever she said now could have a serious impact on her daughter's life, Leanne knew.

Tony knelt down beside Kia. ‘He didn't want anything, darling. He might do in a few years' time, but at the moment there's nothing he wants that we've got, and nothing we want that he's got.'

‘Is he a bad man?' Kia asked. Leanne could tell she was shaken.

‘No. Just a bit of a silly billy.'

Kia giggled. ‘Silly billy,' she said in a sing-song voice, then headed back to her room and her dolls.

Tony took Leanne in his arms.

‘He just turned up,' she said, on the verge of tears again.

‘Ssh. It's all right.' Tony said, stroking her hair. ‘He's gone now. And, trust me, he won't come back in a hurry. He's an arsehole, Leanne. Just forget him.'

‘I wish I'd never met him. I wish you were Kia's dad, I really do.'

‘I am. I'll do anything for her, and for you.'

Leanne pushed back the new surge of tears that was welling inside her. There was one thing in the world she was sure of. It was that Tony meant what he'd said.

*

Jodie was sitting in a room with a kindly woman opposite her. She didn't know much about therapy, only that celebrities were always in and out of it and it sounded a bit like going for a spa day.

‘So, Jodie, these sessions are fairly informal. They're to help you to talk about why you make yourself sick.'

‘I just do it.'

‘And was there a time when you didn't?'

‘Course.'

‘Why don't you start by talking about when that was?'

‘Well, it was when I was fat, wasn't it? I used to sit at the bar shoving crisps down my neck …' She paused. ‘Is that the right answer?'

The woman smiled. ‘There are no right or wrong answers here. We just want to explore your relationship with food.'

‘I haven't got one,' she said honestly.

‘What do you mean by that?'

‘If I could take a tablet instead of eating, that's what I'd do. I hate food.'

‘Is there nothing you really like the taste of?'

‘Yeah, course there is. Chocolate cake, curry, pizza. But I can't have them because I'll end up a fat arse again and I'm not having that.'

‘So it's fair to say you have a love-hate relationship with food?'

Jodie thought for a moment. ‘Yeah, I'd say that was fair enough.'

The woman got Jodie to talk about when she had first noticed herself becoming obsessed with what she ate, how it had made her feel, and what she felt now when she ate something she thought she shouldn't.

At the end of the hour-long session Jodie said, ‘So, is there a way I can stay this weight without throwing up? Because, like I said, I'm not getting fat again. No way.'

The therapist gave her a sympathetic smile that Jodie thought suggested she might have a bit to learn.

*

Leanne's mobile rang, and she pulled it out of her bag.

‘Leanne, it's Maurice. Are you sitting down?' he asked.

‘Do I need to be?' Leanne asked excitedly.

‘Jenny's agreed to settle. You'll receive a cheque
within the month. Her only stipulation is that you sign a non-disclosure agreement about what she's referring to as her “oversight”. Do you know what that is?'

‘Oh, yeah. I know what one of those is all right.' She hadn't forgotten Lisa Leighton whipping papers out of her bag and presuming that Leanne would just sign them. This time, however, Leanne had no problem with signing. She wanted her money – but she wasn't interested in badmouthing Jenny. She felt like doing cartwheels down the street.

She said goodbye to Maurice and immediately called Tony. ‘Are you at work yet?' she asked.

‘Yes, why?'

‘I'm coming over.'

‘What's happened?'

‘I've got some great news.'

Leanne jumped into her beloved Mini and grinned. She could keep it, after all. Her and Kia's secret was safe now too.

*

A few hours later Leanne was leafing through the pictures of the young women she had been sent by the
Globe
. Jodie had told her she would help with contacting potential clients, but Leanne had decided she wanted to do it herself. She had
always felt intimated by receptionists and secretaries when she was modelling. Also her experience in the business would ease the girls' nerves and give them confidence in her as their representative.

She had already invited five to meet her and Markie had lent her a room at the Glass House for the interviews. After today, she was hoping to see ten girls every day for a week, then make her choice.

Leanne had a plan. She was going to promote her new team of girls as just that – a team. Over the last few years the glamour industry had become increasingly cut-throat and many of the girls who wanted to go into it felt they needed to act accordingly, they bitched about each other and sold stories about their sex lives. Leanne's girls would be different. They would get on with each other and if anyone didn't like it they were out. Leanne felt that if they pulled together they'd be calling the shots.

She would go big with the launch, she decided. She was going to re-enact the famous
Charlie's Angels
silhouette pose, but with as many girls as she took on. She had twenty in mind. Then she wanted a count-down in the
Globe
, a big filmic build-up: ‘A new breed of woman has emerged, the like of which we have never seen before …' to get everyone talking. She wanted to start a whispering
campaign through the
Globe
's website – people could download the silhouette and when the girls were launched it would become the emblem of Leanne's Angels.

If all went to plan, and Leanne kept the girls in line, they could become successful very quickly. She had already gone over the idea with Victoria, who had said she loved it. Leanne knew she had to be careful. Victoria had become the editor of a tabloid newspaper by making sure she got a story. Leanne had agreed to sell hers but was going back on the deal, which might well damage their friendship. She had decided to continue working towards the launch as she envisaged, and if Victoria pulled out, she would just deal with the consequences.

She had Maurice on board, ready to draw up the contracts and make sure each girl understood everything that was expected of her and what she could expect in return. An old photographer friend would do the shoots. And should this year's venture be successful, Leanne would repeat it next year, but throw open to the public the opportunity to join her agency. Every year there would be another group of Angels. She was quietly confident about the project. The editors of three best-selling men's magazines had agreed to see her next week.

The door buzzer sounded in the apartment.
Leanne looked at her watch. It was nearly midday and she wasn't expecting anyone. She got to her feet and pressed the intercom. ‘Hello.'

‘Leanne, it's Charly.' Angel number two, Leanne thought.

Charly fell through the door, eyes puffy. She didn't pause for breath. ‘I'm sorry, Lee, and I completely get it if you don't want to represent me, but I can't do it any more, and I've tried loads of different things to make it better but it's just shit, and I know he's your brother and you love him, but I was looking at a lifetime of watching
Police, Camera, Action
and I was tearing my hair out…' She collapsed into a sobbing heap.

Leanne picked her up and hugged her. She'd got the gist of Charly's garbled explanation. Scott's girlfriend had dumped him. ‘Come on, calm down.'

Just then the door burst open and Jodie marched in. ‘Oi, Slag Features, fuck off and cry to someone who gives a shit.'

‘How did you get in?' Leanne asked, shocked.

‘She's dumped our Scott for Joel fucking Baldy and all you can say is, “How did you get in?”'

Leanne let go of Charly. ‘Is this true?'

‘We had a connection,' Charly said sorrowfully.

‘Well, whoop-di-fucking-do. I've got a connection with most of the men who come in the Beacon,' Jodie snarled. ‘Doesn't mean I drop my drawers as soon as they look at me.'

‘I don't love Scott,' Charly pleaded.

‘So you went out with him for security. Like I always said, you were only with him for the knockoff gear and the roof over your head. Well, now you're with someone who'll buy you proper Spy bags and let you live in a mock-Tudor mansion. You must be so proud!' Jodie sneered.

‘And what are you? Mother fucking Teresa? You've got your tits out in a paper and you pull pints for a living. Get off your fucking high horse, will you?'

‘Sit down and shut up, the pair of you!' Leanne ordered. Both girls were so startled by the force of her voice that they did exactly as they were told.

‘Right, you first,' she said to Charly. ‘You've just dropped your first bollock. You've got one more chance and if you blow it I'll make sure your modelling career begins and ends with the snaps our Scott took of you. And don't think I'm joking. No one wants to work with a troublemaker. There's so many girls out there clamouring to get into this business that I don't have to deal with people who aren't to be trusted. And I don't trust you, Charly, but I'll take a punt on you because I think you've got something. And that's it. So dry your eyes and don't you dare go near my brother again. The least he deserves is to be left alone.'

Charly nodded. ‘Thank you, Leanne.'

‘Go on then! What are you waiting for?'

Charly got to her feet and, head bowed, left the apartment.

‘The look on her face! Silly cow,' Jodie scoffed.

‘Who said you could start again?'

‘Bloody hell, Lee! What's up with you?' Jodie said, narked.

‘I don't need you shouting the odds for me, thanks very much.'

‘I wasn't. It was for Scott.'

‘Well, whatever. Where Charly's concerned, you let me do the talking when I'm around. Yes?'

‘For God's sake!' Jodie was sulking now.

‘Yes?'

‘Yes,' she agreed reluctantly.

‘Good.'

‘Right,' Leanne said, ‘I've got quite a bit to do this afternoon, but I'd like to go over to Mum's and sort things out. I know she's a pain in the arse …'

‘You can say that again.'

‘… but she's been good to me since I've been back, letting me and Kia stay there, and I all but accused her of going to the papers.'

‘Yeah, 'cause she's not the sort of person to do that, is she?' Jodie said sarcastically.

‘I was wondering if you wanted to come with me. Play happy families for a bit before she goes away?'

‘How's she affording this holiday?'

‘She's not. Kent is.'

‘Really?'

‘Yes.' Leanne didn't want to believe Tracy had found money any other way. ‘So, are you coming?'

Jodie shrugged. ‘Yeah, why not? As long as you get me more work I'll go wherever you want.'

*

Leanne picked up the phone. This wasn't a call she was looking forward to making but she and Tony had discussed it and she knew what she had to say. Victoria Haim had done a lot for her recently and Leanne was about to pull her biggest exclusive.

It hadn't been a hard decision to make. Now that she was about to get some money from the carwash picture she couldn't justify selling a story to the newspapers – even if it was the one that would have meant she could lay everything to rest.

If she and Tony told the nation that he was Kia's dad it would throw up more questions in the public's mind. Where had he been for so many years and why was she willing to take him back now? Why was Jay Leighton so often linked with her, and why hadn't she come forward sooner to put the rumours to bed? She knew it was naïve to assume that if she said Jay had had nothing to do with Kia the whole thing would go away. But she hoped it might make a nice neat end to things and that the money would come in useful for Kia when she was older.

Tony had been the one to suggest it was the wrong thing to do. He thought it was blood money, however way they looked at it, and that Kia wouldn't be forgiving in years to come if they lied now.

So, Leanne picked the phone up and dialled Victoria. She explained that she couldn't go through with the interview because it would lead to even more press intrusion.

Victoria sighed. ‘I'm pissed off, Leanne,' she said.